Grange open day - farmer feedback

DEAR EDITOR

As a farmer from Northern Ireland who, along with neighbours and friends, took a day away to the Teagasc BEEF 2024 open day last week, I would like to get something ‘off my chest’. It was an enjoyable farm tour, as are most days away off-farm with friends. However, from the very first stand, we were again faced with the dire environmental consequences of our current farming methods.

Farmers have been absolutely immersed in this climate debacle for years now. We are also beginning to look over our shoulders at other industries and, indeed, at the general public, to see if we are “all in this together”. The ‘consumer wants’, the ‘consumer demands’ was the cry from the stand in question.

As a past chair of a beef and sheep producer group, I had the opportunity to meet with literally all our processors and retailers. Again the same cry – ‘our consumers demand’.

When questioning one very reputable retailer on the credibility of this cry, they did reveal that in an effort to tick the waste packaging box somewhat, they dropped plastic from their fresh vegetables.

Immediately the sales of fresh veg plummeted. They had to retreat and repackage fresh veg.

Farmers are aware that our consumers want, first and foremost, cheap food and food security. There is little appetite for paying any extra for premium product.

Our processors have similar demands. Uniformity of product, throughout the year.

Product produced ticking all the current sustainability boxes. Product produced as cheap as chips. Our retailers (with the exception of one) had no interest in paying more regardless of production costs quoting a “cost of living crisis”.

In Northern Ireland we have almost zero chance of any planning for agri-related projects, even upgrade of old dysfunctional parlours, etc.

Is our great industry doomed going forward? Farmers will do what they can, but please give us a break.